Drippings from the Honeycomb
More to be desired are [the rules of the Lord] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10)
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The atonement is the completed sacrificial work of Christ in His life and death to satisfy the Laws demands unto God the Father. The atonement deals with the problem of sin, so that in mercy, fallen mankind might be restored to a relationship with God. It literally means at-one-ment; what was done so we might be at one with God.
Why was this needed? In the Garden, Adam and Eve needed to obey the Law, or Covenant of Works (Gen 2:15), or face the consequence/wage. The Law demanded perfect obedience (righteousness) or the wage/consequence would be perfect justice (Ro 6:23a). In breaking the Covenant they died spiritually and began to die physically. They were cut off from God and under His wrath. Grudem defines the atonement simply as, “The work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1236; c.f. 1689.8.4). Since we were: a) disobedient, and b) are under just sentence, Jesus’ atoning work had a twofold nature to it: His active obedience and passive obedience.
Atonement is what Christ did. Justification by faith is how the sinner accesses Christ’s merits to be declared just, or righteous (both morally and legally). Other blogs on the atonement. As a Christian, I am a fundamentalist; I uphold the fundamentals of the faith. Fundamentalism began in the late 1800s in response to theological/biblical liberalism that denied key tenants of the faith. Initially Fundamentalism was a thoughtful response to defend the faith (Jud 3) but by the 1920s was it was becoming increasing militant (i.e. an angry evangelical). At this time Fundamentalism emerged on the one hand and [classic] conservative evangelicalism/Baptists on the other. So today you’ll hear of Fundamentalist Baptists and other streams of Baptists. This is why I’m a fundamentalist Baptist but not a Fundamentalist Baptist. *Not all Fundamentalists Baptist believe all of the following; nor is this meant to be a caricature. Rather, it is a thoughtful comparison.   
To be a man is, fundamentally, to be humble.
*Men's breakfast talk, Nov 2, 2024. OPENER: Role models as you grew up (uncles, cousins, pastor). Q- Who were/are your role models? PAST Men’s Breakfasts we’ve considered various questions about manhood. Today we want to consider the 1st and 2nd Adam (Adam and Jesus, c.f. 1 Cor 15) as role models. If there is one thing they have in common it is humility. Worldly men/boys are portrayed as vastly different in the media, etc, than spiritual men since the Fall. Q- How do we see this? 1st ADAM Adam was our example and role model in humility as the first man. Humility may be defined as: a) entire dependence on God (vertical-think the Great Commandment- ‘loving God’), and b) counting others as more significant than yourself (Phil 2, horizontal-again, the Great Commandment- ‘loving others’). It isn’t about a false modesty but seeing yourself rightly (in relation to God and others). Activity for the boys- practice bowing and kneeling prostrate, explaining the meaning. However, the Fall changed all of this. Read Gen 3:5. What was the first sin? It was prIde, the desire to be as God: to be worshipped, served, to set right and wrong, etc. In ADAM Story: When I was a teenager an elderly man whom I did not know stopped me on the street to ask if I was Jack Crocker’s grandson. He didn’t know me but knew I looked like my grandfather! Q- Are there any family resemblances amongst our boys/fathers here today? As Adam’s descendants the spiritual apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. We are all proud. Activity for the boys: How might we act out being proud (pointing, strutting, crossed arms)? Can we act this out? Very different from bowing!? In Adam we follow his pride, not his humility. 2nd ADAM Jesus did what the 1st Adam couldn’t do, He perfectly obeyed the Father, earning believer’s His righteousness. He also died a perfect death, the death we deserve to die, so believer’s might have forgiveness. He even rose from the dead so that He might offer us new life. All of this He did through humility (Phil 2- humility horseshoe). Q- How did Jesus show humility? Jesus humility is the means of salvation; our humility to the Gospel the means of receiving it. To be saved me must become utterly humble. Activity for the boys: Using a retractable poll we played LIMBO! In CHRIST Once we are saved by faith (justified) we go on being saved by the Spirit (sanctification), in which humility is just as important, indeed a fruit of the Spirit! Read Col 2:6. Q- How were we called? (we have some newly baptized believers here) (humility, repentance, faith, etc). We’re called to continue to walk in this same way. Today, to be a man is to be humble. Q- How can we display humility as men of God today? Christ is our role model, and as we follow Him, we are the role model of humility for others (1 Cor 11:1). See pt. 1/3
What is suicide? Suicide is self-killing or self-murder. It is a compound word of sui (self) and caedere (to slay). It speaks of the act of self-killing, which was a crime in Canada until it was decriminalized in 1972. Historically suicide was an immoral and criminal act, even as sympathy surrounded a situation. Today, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme where we speak of someone being the victim of suicide (as a mental health illness) and neutralize the language: “taking one’s life” “decided to end one’s life,” “loosing someone to [the battle of] suicide,” “dying suddenly.” This is what suicide is and two different views, one stressing responsibility and the other victimhood. What does the Bible say about suicide? As an effect of the Fall, suicide is almost as old as humanity. There are 7 passages that are clearly describe suicide in the Bible: Abimelech (Jud 9:52–54); Ahithophel (2 Sam 17:23); Zimri (1 Ki 16:18); Saul and also his armour bearer (1 Sam 31); Samson (Jud 16:28); and Judas (Mt 27:3–5). These can be categorized as self-sacrifice, cowardice in battle, folly and guilt. The two most famous are Saul (who through a series of faithless choices show himself to be an inglorious king) and Judas (whose guilt overcame him, yet note how Peter likewise betrayed Jesus but chose life…). These two examples show us that suicide is not portrayed positively in the Bible. It does not love God. It defames the image of God, is contrary to our nature to preserve life and does not trust in the Lord but self. It also does not love others, bringing untold harm to first responders, family, colleagues and communities. Most clearly, it breaks the 6th commandment, thou shalt not murder. Murder is always immoral in the Bible from Cain, to violence in the days of Noah, to the 10 Commandments to Revelation that reminds us that all unrepentant sinners, no matter their crime, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Such Christian views, and other life-giving forces, formed the bulwark against suicide in the past. Today, with the decline of Christianity has come the rise of suicide. A Canadian Mental Health document notes: “Protective factors: Religious Beliefs- Moral objections to suicide and self-injury tend to be a factor in preventing this behaviour.”[1] When it comes to suicide, Christians have always leant toward responsibility, all the while being gracious and sympathetic. We must balance truth and grace. Biblically, why might someone commit suicide? Demonic possession (e.g. Judas) Temptation (responding to Satan’s voices) To end the pain, fear, guilt, hopelessness or loneliness, often the result of an accumulation of bad choices (vs. turning from sin and trusting in Jesus, whose Gospel provides a solution to each) Revenge (yes, some people commit suicide as a twisted form of revenge) Believing lies vs the truth, confusion (i.e. the lie that suicide will remove the problem when in fact, being outside of Christ, it makes it worse—hell). Acute mental illness where the mind lacks cognitive ability (itself an effect of the Fall) The emphasis on spirituality, morality and responsibility all strikes modern secularists as out of touch with reality. Our being is the sum of our brain and body. If our brain is ill, one cannot help but become the victim of its troubles (and yet, like drunk driving, a series of bad choices will culminate in tragedy that still bears responsibility). However, even the brain is a mystery, even to leading psychologists. Little wonder, as we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139). Our mental health usually becomes ill through poor spiritual choices. Whether specifically or generally, every physical issue is a result of the Fall. The Bible also says that our mind is only part of the picture of who we are, but we’re ultimately body, soul and spirit. Here too lies an even greater mystery. There are spiritual and moral factors, not just mental, that must be held together. Ultimately, as sin effects our whole being a holistic approach is needed, one that begins and ends with the Gospel. How to get/offer help? While we affirm the immorality of suicide (truth) we ought also be compassionate (grace) toward those who are in the pit (Ps 40), for people in pits need someone to help them out, ultimately the Lord. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide get help immediately, don’t rob yourself of the future. You can speak with a friend or family member, seek professional help (including a pastor), call help lines like 988 (Canada’s mental health hotline), or cry out to the Lord. Likewise, if you think someone is at risk of suicide you can call 988 for advise or take the ASSIST course for suicide intervention. [1] Mental Health First Aid Canada (2019), Section 4, page 2. Why Celebrate the Reformation?
We should all celebrate the Reformation and the benefits it brought that extend to today. Each year October 31 is Reformation Day. The Lord’s Day before is known as Reformation Sunday, an opportunity for churches to remember this great event and its continued relevance. What is Reform? Reform or reformation means to bring back or return to the original shape (e.g. bent clay, gunk in a pipe, out of level). The Protestant Reformation was the movement that sought to restore the Roman Catholic Church—the Church of Western Europe— to the beliefs and practices of the New Testament Church. Why Was the Reformation Needed? Jesus had warned against the build up of man-made tradition (Mk 7:7) and sadly over time—and intermingled with good teaching—this is what happened. The Dark Ages were not called dark for no reason. A traditional perspective was offered by a Baptist in 1811,“But ere long, Christianity became wretchedly adulterated by the inventions of men,” and “At the Reformation, a happy change took place.” [1] For over 1000 years Christianity sat in darkness. The Church taught and condoned many things not in the Bible.[2] Any attempt to Reform was met with the Inquisition. The Bible, in Latin, could not be understood. The free grace of God through faith in Christ was replaced with a system of works. Atop it all was a highly centralized Papacy that controlled the knowledge of God. Without the Gospel, lives remained untouched. By 1517 there was not an informed person in all of Europe who didn’t know Reform wasn’t in the air. What was the Reformation? On the Eve of All Soul’s Day (All Hallows Eve- Halloween), a German Augustinian monk named Martin Luther posted 95 Thesis on the church door in Wittenburg (This was the normal way to post debates in a university town). It was timely because All Saints day was when people prayed for, offered Masses for and bought indulgences for the dead stuck in purgatory. However, Luther, had been converted shortly before by reading Ro 1:17 and had become infuriated by the practice of indulgences that robbed the poor so the Pope could build St. Peter’s in Rome. The 95 Theses posited forgiveness in Christ through repentance and faith. These were printed on the new printing press and Luther’s ideas were spread all over Europe. His grievances didn’t stop there, and he began to write against a whole host of Catholic corruptions, preached justification by faith, published the Bible into German and reformed the German churches in various areas of teachings and practice. He became a leader in the Reformation, which was not just a protest movement but a reformation that brought about renewal—it was the greatest revival since the early Church. He was joined by many others in other countries who similarly desired to see the Church reformed but believed it was too corrupt to do from within the Roman body. The Roman Church eventually realized they had to do something and addressed some surface matters but not the deep and unbiblical traditions that had developed over centuries. While Luther and other Reformers challenged any abuse in the Church they saw as unscriptural there were a number of doctrinal principles that stood at the heart of the Reformation. What Principles Did the Reformation Restore? At its heart the Reformation was about justification by faith (the material issue)— ‘How does a sinner become right with God?’; and the authority of Scripture (the formal issue)— ‘By what authority can I know God and what He expects?’ Being able to read the Bible brought light to people—knowledge of God and how to be in a right relationship with Him (just as Jesus had said, Jn 8:12 and 32). Thus, the motto of the Reformation became post tenebras lux (after the darkness, light; or, out of the darkness light). The centre of Reformation belief came to be known as the 5 solas: sola gratia By grace alone sola fide Through Faith alone solus Christus In Christ alone sola scriptura According to Scripture alone soli deo gloria To God’s glory alone We should celebrate the Reformation because through the courageous faith of many men and women, we who come after them, can read the Bible in our own language, learn of the way of salvation in the Gospel, be in a right relationship with God through faith, follow Jesus by the power of the Spirit and worship and live together in the Church the way He intended. And lest we think the Reformation is over, it is ongoing. Every generation must reform to be renewed because of our human tendency to create our own ideas and traditions. Hence another Reformation saying, ecclesia reformanda est (the Church is always to be reforming). Happy Reformation Day! [1] John Ryland, Divine Revelation (1811), 34–5. [2] Especially in areas of Scripture, Church, Salvation, Worship and Christian Living. Examples of abuses include: The sacraments, especially penance (including indulgences) and the Mass (transubstantiation). Papal authority and worldly interests, simony, nepotism, the celibacy of priests, the ignorance and immorality of priests and people alike, justification by works vs. faith, the worship of Mary and saints, idolatry, relics and pilgrimages, purgatory, opulence vs. loving the poor (e.g. the construction of St. Peters). We’re living in a time when it doesn’t only feel as if suicide is on the rise, it is. While suicide has always existed in the human experience since the Fall, it has steadily been on the rise in Canada since the 1950s when it was only 5 deaths/100K. Today it is 15+ deaths/100K (this is similar to a peak in the 1970s).[1] In the USA it has increased 36% since the year 2000.[2] The stats are also eschewed because attempted suicides are not recorded, a higher category amongst women, and also because MAiD isn’t considered suicide by StatsCan. As of 2019, most suicides happen amongst those middle aged, though there a variety of factors why certain groups or individuals succumb to suicide.[3]
However, statistics shield the reality that each represents a person. Today, hardly anyone or any family escapes suicide’s tragic effect. Whether it be MAiD or classic instances, suicide has even been described as a present epidemic, being one of the leading causes of death in the USA.[4] Clearly, we must be informed on the subject, as hard as the reality may be. This is not a mere intellectual exercise either, nor should our experience or emotions be the primary guide. I don’t write here emotionally detached, from as early as high school I was confronted with suicide amongst friends. My own childhood friend committed suicide as an adult, there have been attempted suicides in my extended family and I’ve had youth and adults connected to my churches kill or attempt to kill themselves. While this doesn’t make me an expert it does, along with professional training, provide an opportunity to comment on suicide from a theological perspective. Christians must be equipped to deal with suicide, which sadly given the state of our culture and like many other things, is only going to get worse. This multi-part blog series will seek to answer: What is suicide and what does the Bible say about it? How can we help minister to those considering suicide/or who suffer as its result? What about a profession Christian who commits suicide? [1] https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11293-8 [2] https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html [3] https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-key-statistics-infographic.html [4] https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html The story of Joseph is not only a real story but one that is a picture of Jesus and wider biblical teachings. One such picture is of salvation, not only of conversion or becoming a Christian (being saved from the penalty of sin) but of our ongoing salvation (sanctification, being saved from the power of sin). The 5 Rs of Salvation (c.f. Saving Faith) that we can see in this story are: Recognize, Remorse, Repent, Restoration and Renewal.  For a few years now my son has operated a fall veggie stand to learn a work ethic and earn some money. I did something very similar when I was a boy. However, in the early 90s I never remember anyone stealing any of my pumpkins and squash. Things are different now. While many pay a fair or generous amount (my son’s veggies are by fair market donation) this year has seen a spike in those stealing or under-paying (it is even so bad that some Mennonites have installed security cameras at their stands). This window into the sinfulness of the human heart proved a difficult lesson for my son. It speaks to the de-Christianization of our society and the growing moral depravity that comes when our focus is on self.
The 8th commandment of God’s moral law, the 10 Commandments, states, “Thou shalt not steal.” Stealing is taking something that belongs to someone else. In murder that is their life, in adultery it is a spouse, in stealing it is some material possession, financial or property. When we steal, we rob something from someone else, we harm them through this loss and violation. When we steal, we essentially say I am better than you, this therefore should belong to me (i.e. stealing is an expression of coveting). This can happen amongst the wealthy and poor, anyone can steal. We can steal something small or something large, something from someone who is helpless (a child) or someone who is strong (a country). Yet far above the human plane we all steal from God, whether we steal from others or not. We steal from Him when we don’t give Him His due. When we don’ t honour Him through honouring His special day—we’re stealing. When we don’t honour Him through tithing—we’re stealing. Yet ultimately, when we are coveting (10th commandment) we reveal how we are breaking the 1st commandment. Ultimately by loving self we’re stealing from God His due to be worshipped (loved) and served. We naturally steal from God and can and do steal from others. Wonderfully Jesus came to give Himself so we might be forgiven of all of this selfish sin and be renewed by the gift of His Spirit so as to give to God and give to others, to love them. So let’s stop stealing and let’s start giving, to God and to others. |
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